Electric-railway system.



(No Model.)

Patented May l3, I902. G. L. CAMPBELL.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

(Application filed. Aug. 28, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I."

Patented May l3, I902.

G. L. CAMPBELL.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

(Application filed Aug. 23, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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lInTTnn dTnTns PATIENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. CAMPBELL, OF NYACK, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNA- TIONALELECTRIC TRACTION COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

ELECTRIC RAlLWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 699,787, dated May 13,1902.

Application filed August 23,1901. Serial No. 73,083. (No model.)

To all whom it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L..CAMPBELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Nyack, in the county of Rockland and State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inElectric-Railway Systems, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthe same, the same reference characters referring to similar parts inthe various figures.

This invention relates to electric-railway systems such as are shown anddescribed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 656,511, granted tome August 21, 1900, and No. 621,321, granted to me on March 21, 1899. Inthese systems a closed conduit is employed having a continuous and adiscontinuous conductor in said conduit, the sections of saiddiscontinuous conductor being connected to a sectional contact-rail. Atrolley is moved along said conduit under the influence of a car-magnetto charge said sectional contactrail. This invention relates moreparticularly to crossings and switches for such systems.

Figure 1 is a plan view showing my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview showing a detail of the same. Fig. is a detail sectional view. a

A represents track-rails which communicate by means of suitable switchmechanism (not shown in detail, but of ordinary and wellknownconstruction) with track-rails B. The track-rails D intersectsubstantially at right angles the track-rails A to form a crossing.

The closed conduits G, G, and G are constructed below the surface of thestreet sub stantially in the center of the track-rails A, B, and D.These conduits communicate with each other, since they are all uponsubstantially the same level, and the conduits G and G are formed attheir point of intersection with a slightly-relieved curved portion, asindicated in Fig. 1, so that trolleys can pass from one of theseconduits to the other'under the guidance of suitable car-magnets. Thediscontinuous contact-rails E, E, and E are also between the track-railsto supply current to cars operating upon the same. These contact-rails,as are indicated in Fig. 1, are to one side of the closed conduits whichsupply them with current, and since it is preferable to form thesecontact-rails of iron they should be removed a sufficient distance fromsuch conduits, so that they do not interfere with the magnetic controlof the car-magnets over said conduits. As is well known in this art andas is described in detail in my Patent No. 656,511, each of theseconduits is formed of insulating non-magnetic material G, as i11-dicated in Fig. 3, and the continuous conductor J, secured to the bottomof the conduit, as is indicated in that figure, supplies current throughthe traveling closer or trolley K to the sectional conductor L, mountedon the top of the conduit. The sections of this sectional conductor areconnected with the sectional contact-rails, the two sections E and beingindicated in Fig. 3. The car-magnet M, mounted in any suitable way on acar, moves along directly over the closed conduit, and the magnet, whichis energized by current supplied to it in any suitable way, acts uponthe iron armature carried by the trolley K and draws this trolley alongthe conduit directly under the car-magnet. The sectional contactrail, asis indicated in Figsl and 3, does not extend up to the intersectingtrack-sections in any case; but the insulating-blocks are in sorted toinsulate the contact-rails from the two sections. Theseinsulating-blocks, together with the contactrail, are elevated above thelevel of the intersecting track-sections at the crossing, as is shown inFig. 3. The elongated contact-shoe N, mounted on the car in any desiredway, makes contact with the sections of the contact-rail, and at acrossing, as indicated in Fig. 3, the contactshoe is of sufficientlength so that it does not come into contact with the track-rails at anytime, and, furthermore, the contact-shoe is always in contact with onesection of the contact-rail, so that current is at all times sup pliedto the car. It is of course understood that contact-shoes of variouskinds may be employed and special forms of contact devices may be usedinstead of a simple shoe here indicated.

As is shown in Fig. 1, the track-rails C also intersect the track-railsA and B. These track-rails, however, are not intended for the sameelectric system which it is intended to operate on the other tracks.These trackrails have no conduit or sectional contactrails. It is ofcourse desirable to make these track-rails wherever possible of ordinarysteel for the sake of oheapness and durability. It is undesirable,however, to form the section of track-rail which extends over theconduit employed in my electric-railway system of ordinary steel, sincethis would interfere with the magnetic control of the car-magnet overthe traveling closer or trolley. The section F therefore, of the track 0is formed of suitable non-magnetic material, and I prefer to form thissection as a casting of manganese steel, the composition of this steelbeing such that it is practically non-magnetic and does not interfere toany appreciable extent with the magnetic control of the car-magnet overthe trolley. As is shown in Fig. 1, the frog F where the tracks 0 and Aintersect is substantially over the closed conduit G, and for similarreasons this frog, at least where the tracks pass over the closedconduits, must be formed of similar non-magnetic material. I show inFig. 2 the details of construction of this frog, which may be formed bycasting it in one piece or in any other desired way. The housings H and1-1 are formed, preferably, integral with the adjacent track-sections Fand F to surround the conduits G and G. The bolt-holes h are formed inthe housings for the more convenient securing of the conduits to thehousings. In this way, as will be readily seen, the rail-section issufficiently supported by the housings, so that the conduit passesthrough the rail. The strength of the rail at this point is notmaterially lessened. As is seen in Fig. 3, the housings, which extend oneither side of the rail to some little distance, are covered by thepaving material, such as asphalt, and since these housings and therail-section over the conduits and adjacent thereto are non-magnetic sothat the carmagnet M has the same perfect control over the trolley atthis point that it has at all other points in the conduit. Thetrack-rails are supported in any desired way, and the contact-rails aresupportedin any usual manner, so as to insulate them properly andprevent leakage. These contact-rails are preferably elevated throughouttheir whole extent above the level of the track-rails, as indicated inFig. 3, and suitable depressions are made in these contact-rails, sothat the car-magnets do not come in contact with them and pass withouttouching. Such a depressed portion is indicated at H, for instance, inFig. 1. These depressed portions occur, of course, wherever thecontact-rails pass over the conduit, or, if desired, the car-magnet Mmay be raised by suitable mechanism, such as by a non-conductingwedge-shaped shoe at the other end of the magnet, covering the poles ofthe same above the contact-rails, so

that the car-magnet will by these means he held out of contact with thecontact-rails in passing over them, or, if desired, the carmagnet may bemounted at a sufficient height to be above the contact-rails at alltimes. It is of course apparent that instead of having the closedconduits passing through the web of the rail, as indicated in Figs. 2and 3, these conduits might pass entirely under the rails, in which caseof course the rails would necessarily be made non-magnetic for thereasons already set forth. The track-section F is made of similarnon-magnetic material, as are also-the track-sections F F F and FFurthermore, it is necessary to construct the sections of thecontact-rails where these rails pass over the closed conduits of similarnonmagnetic material to prevent any interference with the propermagnetic control of the car-magnet over the trolley in the conduit. Thesections E F and F of these contactrails are therefore made ofnon-magnetic material, preferably of manganese steel. These sectionsmust be necessarily constructed of suitable conducting material, so asto properly supply the electricity to the contact-shoe carried by thecar.

I prefer to form the sections E and E of the contact-rails so that thesesections are electrically connected with the sections F and F and thiscentral part of the contactrailsis charged whenever a car passes overthe crossing in either direction, although these sections ofcontact-rail on different tracks may, if desired, be insulated.

Many modifications may be made from the disclosure which I have made inthis case. The track-sections over the conduit may be formed of anynon-magnetic materialsuch as brass, bronze, or even hard wood, ifdesired. Many changes may also be made in the exact form of theserail-sections without departing from'the spirit of this invention. I donot, therefore, wish to be limited by the disclosure which I have madein this case; but

What I desire to secure by Letters Patent is set forth in the'appendedclaims:

1. In an electric-railway system track-rails, intersecting track-railsto form a crossing, a closed conduit extending adjacent said trackrails,a continuous and a sectional conductor in said conduit, a sectionalcontact-rail adjacent said conduit connected to said sectionalconductor, the sections of said contact-rail being above the level ofsaid intersecting track-rails at said crossing and insulated therefrom,a trolleyin said conduit to connect said conductors, a car-magnetmounted on a car to control said trolley, an elongated contact-shoemounted on said car to make contact with said contact-rail, theintersecting track -sections above said conduit being formed ofmanganese steel to provide a nonmagnetic housing for said conduit.

2. In an electric-railway system embodying track-rails, and a closedconduit, intersecting IIO track-rails forming a crossing, a sectionalcontact-rail electrically energized from said conduit by magnetic means,said contact-rail being higher than said intersecting track-rails atsaid crossing, the intersecting track-rails over said conduit beingnon-magnetic so as to be free from interference with said conduit.

3. In an electric-railway system embodying a sectional contact-rail, aclosed conduit and magnetically-actuated means in said conduit to chargesaid contact-rail, and a non-magnetic track-section.

4. In an electric-railway system embodying a sectional contact-rail, aclosed conduit and magnetically-actuated means in said conduit to chargesaid contact-rail, a man ganese-steel track-section forming anon-magnetic housing for said conduit.

5. Inan electric-railwaysystem,track-rails, a magnetically-operatedclosed conduit and sectional contact-rails intersecting at a crossing,there being a section of said sectional contact-rails within thetrack-rails at said crossing, said contact-rails being elevated abovesaid track-rails.

6. In an electric-railway system,track-rails, a magnetically-operatedclosed conduit and a sectional contact-rail parallel to said trackrails,intersecting track-rails to form a crossing, there being an insulatedsection of said sectional contact-rail between said intersectingtrack-rails, insulating-blocks to insulate said sectional contact-railfrom said intersecting track-rails, said sectional contact-rails andsaid insulating-blocks being elevated above said track-rails.

7. In an electric-railway system,-track-rails,

9. In an electric-railway system track-rails,

closed conduits and sectional contact-rails intersecting at a crossing,said contact-rails being elevated above said track rails at saidcrossing and being formed with non-magnetic sections above saidconduits, a contact-shoe, a car-magnet and means to maintain saidcarmagnet out of contact with said contact-rails.

10. In an electric railway system, trackrails, a magnetically-operatedclosed conduit parallel to said track-rails, intersecting trackrails toform a crossing said intersecting trackrails being formed withnon-magnetic sections over said conduit.

11. In an electric-railway system, trackrails, magnetically-operatedclosed conduits parallel to said track-rails and sectional contact-railsof magnetic material parallel to and removed from said conduitsintersecting at a crossing, there being non-magnetic sections of saidsectional contact-rails over the intersecting conduits.

GEORGE L. CAMPBELL. WVitnesses:

JAMEs N. CATLow,

ALEXANDER MITCHELL,

